Lonely Once- Never Again
by Pugslover
Summary: Madeline Williams was used to being unnoticed by others. Ivan Braginsky was used to being feared by others. They weren't used to each other though! What will happen when the giant Ivan meets the tiny Madeline? Will they help fill the holes in each others' hearts?
1. Chapter 1

Wow…another new story…well, if you've read any of my other fanfics, you'll note that I am rather…slow…at updating them. Well, I've gotta take whatever inspiration I can get! I make no promises for regular updates! Just to write the best I can! :3 Enjoy~!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN Hetalia.**

Chapter 1: _Prologue_

Madeline Williams is a soft spoken woman. With her long, wavy blond hair and impossibly large, violet/cerulean blue eyes, she was quite the beauty. Of course, being that she was a serious and strict, not only with others but herself as well, she took great care of her physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Now most would say, "Hey! What about her social life?" but that has been left out due to a…er…superior lack thereof. Anyways, because of that, she was a very healthy little lady. With a slim figure and no evidence of sleep deprivation visible anywhere, nobody could deny that she was the picture of health!

Forever eating a healthy and well-timed diet, always jogging first thing in the morning with her pet polar bear, more like best -and only- friend, Kumajiro, or Kuma for short, who can always be seen waddling behind her by at least five of her paces, earning a living by working at a live-in library as the librarian, none can deny that her life is well-balanced.

…Except for the percentage of the female population that believes she hasn't lived till she's met a man…

A-HEM!

Well, that's her life in a nutshell. Living in a quiet Canadian suburb at her family's library/bookstore, passing each day by peacefully- except for hockey season.

Her cousin, better known as Alfred Jones, lives in America with his mom, Alice Kirkland (she never really thought the last name 'Jones' stuck). They visit each other frequently since Alfred, who refuses to say it out loud, worries about his smaller, seemingly weaker cousin. Madeline watches over her family's business since her father, Francis Bonnefoy, likes to travel a LOT. She doesn't mind that she has her own mothers' maiden name. She couldn't help but cringe at the strange sound of _Madeline Bonnefoy _every time the name was uttered. But she loves her family dearly, as they love her.

Life was continuing on in the usual fashion: wake up at six in the morning, wake up Kuma, use the bathroom, get dressed for the day, comb through her ridiculously wavy hair and put it up in a low ponytail, fix for herself and Kuma breakfast, read the newspaper for thirty minutes, go for a jog for an hour, be back at the house a little after eight, get a quick shower, blow-dry her hair and put it in another low ponytail, get dressed in a plain red sweater and black jeans, slip on her nice shoes and move into the front part of the house.

The library opens up promptly at nine in the morning and she wouldn't have it any other way. Grabbing her reading glasses, she slipped them on and, grateful for the glare they provided to shield her strange eyes from others who have never seen such a strange variation of color before, turned the shops sign to the side that reads 'Open'. She had been looking forward to this day- it was finally Friday! That meant that the next day she'd be able to let herself sleep in and take care of the house. It needed a good cleaning. After all, with all the books in the front portion of the house, dust collects rather easily!

Before that though, she had an extra-long day ahead of her. While Fridays meant the weekend and relaxation for the next two days, it also meant a ten-hour work day. With her library/bookstore closing around seven that evening, she'd only have enough time to get to the nearest grocery store, pick up her food for the weekend and following Monday, get more food for the polar bear, and be back in time to watch her favorite hockey team. It is winter after all- the time of year for cuddling up on a comfy sofa with a warm blanket, a cup of hot cocoa, and a good book (or good hockey game).

"Kumajiro, think you can take care of everything for a minute or two?"

Kuma would always deny that he enjoyed listening to his master/best friend and her soft, gentle voice. That didn't mean he wouldn't indulge in it whenever he could, though.

"Hm? Who? …" he asked in his confused tone. Yes, he is a polar bear and he can talk. Hey, Madeline can carry him with ease, so it's ok.

"Hehe, Maddie…" Madeline nervously chuckled. She was long since passed trying to figure out how her friend spoke the human language. She chuckled like she expected someone to jump out of nowhere and spook her. _"Why can't Kuma ever remember who I am? I can't help but feel like I'm about to cry!"_ Maddie screamed in her head.

"Um, do you think you can watch over things here for a minute or two?"

"Sure…where?"

"Here."

"Sure…why?"

"I need to get something from the basement!"

"Okay…" and at that, Kuma stood watch over the humble library while Maddie made her way to the basement to get her homemade decorations for the store front.

While it is mainly a library, if people wish to, they can buy the books as well as accessories for their phones, books, or just random things, like candy or small children toys.

Coming back up the front of her library, she was pleased to see that she already had one possible customer. Putting her snowflake decorations behind the cash register, she walked to the tall man until she was a few feet away from him.

Putting on her best smile, she quietly cleared her throat before speaking.

"Hello sir, and welcome to the Bonnefoy Library & Shop! May I help you?"

"_Okay, good going me! I didn't stutter!"_ Maddie congratulated herself.

The man who had silver hair and slightly reddish purple eyes almost jumped at the sudden sound of her voice. Turning his head towards the direction he had heard the sound, he stared…and stared…and kept staring for a full three minutes till he finally saw her!

"_I can't blame him…"_ Maddie silently sighed.

"Hm? Oh, da! Please be helping! I am looking for a…cookbook?…Da! A Russian cookbook! You have, da?" he asked in a surprisingly soft, childish voice, a slightly creepy smile plastered on his face.

Maddie wanted to ask him to stop smiling at her. She couldn't help but feel that he was forcing himself to smile, and she hadn't even known him for five minutes! …Scratch that, she didn't even know him!

"Hello~? Is anyone home~?"

His voice closer to her ear and his face closer to hers made her jump and squeak.

"Eep! Eh? Ah! Y-yes, I-I-I'm home!" she couldn't help the blush that exploded on her face. Great, juuuuuuust great. She had already managed to stutter and seem like a space-case.

"Hehehe~. You need not fear me. I am friendly. You understand?"

"S-Sorry. I was just lost in my thoughts and before I realized it, you were right in front of me. Um, R-Russian cookbook? I'm not sure. I'll go look now. Please feel free to browse around!"

And with that, Maddie left to look for what her rather large customer requested.

Letting his eyes wander after the little, practically invisible, Canadian, he found his eyes wandering from her to the place he had just walked into. Ivan Braginsky, quite possibly the largest living person from his home country, Russia, wondered why he had stepped into the small bookstore. Sure it had a homey feel to it, but it was relatively small as compared to chain bookstores he had been in. He highly doubted that what he was looking for would be found here.

"Sir, I've located the item you wished to see!" and with that soft, barely audible call from across the bookstore came the little Canadian.

He almost let his mouth fall open in silent shock. Almost.

"Thanks much, da! Is exactly what I was searching for. How much will I need to give for book?"

Taking in more of his appearance for a bit, Madeline sighed quietly. She couldn't believe what she was about to do…

"You can have it for free. To be honest, I still don't know how we got ahold of that cookbook, and since I didn't think anyone would want it, I never put a price on it. It's yours. Do you want a bag to hold it in? Just in case it falls into the snow," Maddie rambled on.

"This book…free? Da?"

"Yes, it's free. Think of it as your first gift from the neighborhood!"

"I believe I have much thanking to do now, da?" Ivan couldn't help but ask. It's not like he was poor, and the Canadian is right- asking for a Russian cookbook in the middle of Canada is…strange, to say the least.

Shaking his head, he refused.

"I cannot take such a precious thing for free. I will give you some money and you will accept it, da?" he asked in what he thought was a polite tone.

To the socially-dead Canadian, however, it sounded more threatening than ever.

"S-S-S-S-S-SURE! N-N-N-NO PROBLEM!" Maddie shouted in her way too soft voice.

Ivan thought that she was done whispering. Sweat-dropping a bit at her increased stutter, Ivan let his gaze drop from her as he looked around the library/bookstore more. He couldn't help but note how…lonely…it seemed.

Maybe the two of them were actually alike.

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><p>Annnnd she rips out a new one! :D I can't wait to see where this one goes. :3 I'm very excited for it~! I do ship PrussiaxFem!Canada as well as RussiaxFem!China, but I also like this pairing. <strong>Please review!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks to all who bothered reading, reviewing, favoriting and following~! . Though only one person has bothered to review and one person has bothered following it, I'm happy that you want an update! I also want to continue this story, regardless of the feedback I get, so here goes the long awaited chapter 2! :D

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN Hetalia.**

Chapter 2: More Browsing…

After giving what he thought was a sufficient amount for the Russian Cookbook, Ivan decided that he was going to take a look at all the books that he could while the store was open. He had noticed the time that the store opened and closed and was satisfied to know that he'd get a good long day of reading in.

He forgot one important factor though…

"…_Of course every book is in French…At least all the ones I'm finding…Guess I have no choice but to ask the librarian for help."_ Ivan sighed as his train of thought came to a stop.

Leaving the aisle of books he was currently in, he carefully made his way over to the cashier, where he'd left the cookbook after telling Maddie that he wanted to look some more, only to see that she wasn't there. And it's not that, 'She's not there because she's invisible'. It's that she had moved over to the display window in order to put her snowflakes up as decoration.

"_Ah, there she is. …I wonder if she needs help?"_ Ivan thought.

Just as he was about to call out to get her attention, Maddie tripped over a small stack of books that Kuma had put there earlier in order to open up a footpath for customers.

With a small 'EEP!', Maddie was bracing for impact and as she was about to smack right into the floor-!

"_Huh…? Didn't I fall just now? Then how come there's no pain?"_

Opening her eyes, Maddie looked down and saw that a big, calloused hand was holding her around her midsection. Looking up to see who the hand was connected to, she almost squeaked again when she saw that it was none other than her very first customer of the day.

"T-thank goodness…Ah! T-t-thank you v-v-very m-much, sir!" she thanked Ivan.

"It's good that you are not hurt, little one. Good thing I am quick-footed, da?" Ivan joked lightly.

"I-I'm sorry for c-causing a pro-problem," Maddie lowered her head a bit in shame and embarrassment.

Putting her back on her feet, Ivan waved it off with an actual small smile. Seeing that, Maddie felt a bit better and gave a small smile of her own in return. Remembering his forgotten objective, he asked Maddie, "Do you have any more Russian books? Or English? I cannot speak the French language, da."

"O-oh, sure, we have plenty of English books! I don't know if we have any other Russian books, but you never know! It could be hidden away, waiting for the right owner!" Maddie spoke with a firmer voice, since she was talking about books which are her forte.

Glad that she was giving him the information he had requested, Ivan was about to list off some books that he'd be glad to have in his possession to read when another thought entered his mind.

Suddenly, he asked, "What is your name, little one?"

"…_Eh?EEEEEEEHHHHH?! W-WHAT THE MAPLE IS GOING ON?! Wait, wait- calm down Madeline Williams! It's n-not l-l-l-like he's asking you out on a date cause he obviously isn't! So why am I so nervous?! ..Oh, that's right…the only people who actually know my name are those in my family…so four people at most, huh? I guess him asking my name is the equivalent of me being asked out on a date since I'm not used to having to introduce myself to people. Heh heh, that's kinda sad…"_ Maddie's mind exploded.

"Oh, I guess I should introduce myself first. I am Ivan Braginsky and I've actually moved not far from here recently. It's a nice change of scenery for me from home," Ivan said as he thought Maddie was hesitant to give her name. _"Maybe she just isn't used to strangers…"_

"A-ah, my name is Madeline Williams. Feel free to call me Maddie, or Miss Williams, or whatever you're more comfortable with, Mr. Braginsky!"

"Hehe!" Ivan chuckled. "Please, just call me Ivan. I doubt I'm much older than you are, so it feels weird to be called Mister. And I'll just call you Maddie- it's easier to pronounce than Madeline, da?"

Feeling her nervousness ebb away a bit, Maddie was able to produce a small smile on her small face.

"_Thank goodness he's friendly! …Does this mean I just made my very first human friend?! Yay! What a great way to start the weekend!"_ Maddie couldn't help but feel an overwhelming at being noticed and being asked for her name.

"Ah, well, I guess I'll lead you to the English books we have in stock! Please follow me, Mr- I mean, Ivan," Maddie stumbled over the new name she was going to have to put to memory. She couldn't help but feel giddy as the name rolled off her tongue.

"Y-You know, your name is also r-really easy to pronounce, Ivan," Maddie commented as they made their way to the section Ivan assumed was the English section.

"Yes, I guess it is. It's a common name in Russia, so maybe that's why?" Ivan added with a thoughtful expression.

"Maybe," Maddie responded.

After that, they enjoyed silent companionship, only talking a bit in order for Maddie to describe the book that Ivan was currently holding in greater detail than the summary on the back of it.

"…and this book has some common French cuisine that a famous Japanese chef created. Some unknown author translated it into English later on, and I've tried some of the recipes. They are extremely delicious! Even better when my papa makes them! Ah, if you're looking for some other cuisine, then over here there are even some Polish recipes! And then some Hispanic…I think there's even one Indian recipe book. Ah, my papa goes travelling a lot so he's gathered some of these on his own in order to sell them. He says that it's always good to have variety!" Maddie couldn't help but smile as she thought of her father whenever he comes home with some weird dish in hand, saying he made it at the neighbor's house as a surprise for her.

Ivan only stared as the once stuttering nervous-wreck talked without stopping once for a breather. He was about to ask her what she recommended to a novice cook when all of a sudden the front door opened, making the little bell go 'ding-a-ling'.

Not five seconds later a flash of blonde had appeared right next to Maddie and suddenly she was scooped up with a little 'Eh?!' escaping her mouth.

"_Oh, ma petite Madeline douce! Je_ _suis de retour dans le beau pays de France; votre grand-mère se demandait comment vous étiez. Vous devez venir avec moi la prochaine fois! Je ne prendrai pas non pour une réponse~!"_ **(Oh, my sweet little Madeline! I am back from the lovely country of France; your grandmother was wondering how you were. You must come with me next time! I won't take no for an answer~!)** a strange man with a little beard fuzz said as he snuggled up to the small librarian.

"Papa! You're back!" Maddie exclaimed in what could only be an overjoyed voice as she hugged the man.

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><p>Well, I finally managed to get a chapter out! I'm happy I was able to update this! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! <strong>Please review!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks to all who have read/reviewed/favorite/followed this fanfiction of mine~! Please enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN Hetalia.**

Chapter 3: I'm Back~!

"Papa! You're back!" Maddie exclaimed in what could only be an overjoyed voice as she hugged the man.

"Oh, excuse me! I didn't know that you had a guest!" Papa said as he switched to heavily accented English.

"Da, don't mind me- Maddie was just helping me look at some different cook books," Ivan responded in a polite manner, fake smile set in place.

"Hmhm, I see. My name is Francis Bonnefoy; please call me Mr. Bonnefoy. Ah, Madeline, there's supposed to be a snow storm coming in the afternoon, so what do you think of closing up early today? I'll quick go to the grocery store and then we'll have ourselves a festive weekend! There are a few extra recipes I picked up while in Paris before visiting your _grand-mère _in the countryside. What do you say? I haven't been home in a few weeks anyways, so this is a good time for me to enjoy your pancakes and for you to experience the delicacies outside of Canada!" Francis exclaimed.

"_Why does this man irritate me so much? I have no clue…but I don't like him already,"_ Ivan thought.

"Eh-uh- h-hold on a moment papa! I guess I'll close early…I heard the news saying something similar and it was pretty cold this morning. Well, it'll be a good opportunity for me to tidy up in here also. Ok, then please go and get our food for the weekend, papa. Ah, don't forget food for Monday as well!" Maddie answered.

"But of course _ma petite crêpe_! As if I would forget to give you your required nutrients! I'm not that bad of a papa!" Francis exclaimed, slightly indignant.

"Papa…" Maddie couldn't help the sigh that escaped her.

"Alright, I'm going now Madeline!" Francis shouted into the book shop as he left to get the needed ingredients.

_Ding-a-ling_

"_Sigh…_I'm sorry about that Ivan! I didn't know that he was coming home today! If he was, I would've let you know…" Maddie hung her head in embarrassment at the little show her papa had put on coming home after weeks of being away.

"Hehe, it's okay~! It was interesting to see a man of his age acting so energetically. He is always like that, I take it?"

"Yeah…ah, but he doesn't mean any harm!" Maddie said in hopes of getting rid of some of the tension that had settled after her papa had come and gone like a storm.

"Da, he looks like a very caring person," Ivan said aloud while his inner self was saying, _"What does _mah peteet crayp _even mean?! I can't help but feel like wiping that smirk off of his face…"_

As some of his dark aura was spilling out around him, Maddie was gleefully unaware as she set to closing the shop and finishing her decorations. Satisfied with her work, she turned the shop's sign to show **CLOSED** to those outside. Taking some safety precautions as well, she pulled down the various gate-like fences that would further protect the inventory of the _Bonnefoy Library & Shop._

Feeling dissatisfied with how their time was interrupted and Maddie seemingly forgot about the cook books that she'd recommend to him, Ivan wasn't sure whether he wanted to stick around a bit more or make the long and confusing trek home.

"_Well, at least if I get lost in the storm, I have my usual wear,"_ Ivan wistfully thought.

By 'usual wear', of course he means his tan long winter coat, his scarf, black boots, and even some gloves. While he had heard of how bad the winters (in certain parts) of Canada could get, he doubted that they were worse than where he had previously lived in Siberia.

"Well, I believe I should be off. I'll be back on Monday, Maddie," Ivan said as he was making his way to the door.

"Eh? Ah! Ivan, you shouldn't go out right now-!" Maddie started saying but was cut off as Ivan opened the door.

**(Imagine extremely noisy wind sounds)**

Closing the door quickly, Ivan was a little more than worried when he found that he couldn't exactly close his eyes.

"Maddie, it appears as though my eyes have been frozen," Ivan started saying as he started shaking like a leaf in the wind.

"Ivan, here! Put this over your eyes and don't move!" Maddie instructed as she handed her frozen customer a damp, hot rag.

Making her way over to the hastily closed door, she fixed the sign quickly before locking both locks on the door. Pulling the shades down over the windows of the little shop, she turned back around to her customer.

"_I guess he's going to be a guest for now though…"_ Maddie shook her head as she thought so. _"Well, papa probably thought so too. He's sturdy enough so I won't have to worry about him coming home safely. I can't wait to see what he'll cook up for lunch and supper today! Of course, I'll be making breakfast…Yep, sounds about right."_

"U-um, Ivan…_IVAN!_" Maddie whisper-yelled.

"D-D-D-Da? What is it, M-Maddie?" Ivan asked through chattering teeth.

"If you would please remove your shoes, please follow me into the next room over."

"D-Da, sure thing…" Ivan was confused. Why does he need to remove his boots? He'll probably freeze without them!

But doing as he was told, he took off the rag after he was sure he could blink again, shrugged his boots off and then followed the small blonde into what he assumed was the living room of the house.

"Please sit down wherever you think you'll be most comfortable, Ivan."

Nodding his head, he sat down on a sturdy looking loveseat. Of course, it was more of an armchair to him than anything else, but it was indeed comfortable to sit in.

Smiling a little at how obedient the large man was being for her, Maddie ran into the kitchen to make some tea for the two of them and some coffee for her papa. After a few minutes, the teas and coffee were ready, so she covered the coffee, making sure to keep it at its' hottest. Putting the two teacups on a small tray with sugar, milk, and honey, she walked into the living room in her comfortable slippers, having gotten rid of her shoes before walking through the house.

"A-Ahem, Ivan, what would you like in your tea? Or would you like something else to drink? Ah, you can use that blanket right there!" Maddie said as she entered the room.

"Tea? For me? Ah, t-thank you very much, Maddie…" Ivan thanked as he accepted the small tea cup with his extra-large hands.

Setting the tray down on the little coffee table, Maddie unfolded one of her coziest blankets, went around the loveseat, and draped the blanket across her foreign guest's shoulders. Moving away, she walked back to the coffee table in order to retrieve her own tea cup. Adding honey to hers, she sat down in her favorite recliner and sipped at her tea.

"It is delicious, Maddie. Thank you very much, da," Ivan said as he sipped on his tea.

Feeling it warm him up from the inside out, Ivan let out a relaxed and satisfied sigh. Giggling a little, Maddie gave him a nod in acknowledgement. Sitting there as the storm raged on outside, the two of them felt at home- of course, for Maddie it was natural for her to feel that way; for Ivan, it was a…new…sensation for him. Even in his new home that was roughly twenty or so minutes away from this place, he had yet to feel completely 'at home' there.

As they finished their tea in a comfortable silence, the storm seemed to quiet for a second before continuing to rage on. Then a knock was heard from the kitchen. Immediately Maddie grabbed a scarf that had been lying on the head of her recliner before making a dash for the other side of the kitchen to open the door and let her poor papa in from the storm.

"GAAAAAHHHH! _Il gèle là-bas!_ Be quick about it, Madeline! Finish bringing in the groceries- I'll put them away. Then I'll go ahead and start the fire before we freeze!" Francis instructed in a rush.

"PAPA! I'll get the groceries and you'll put them away. HOWEVER, I will be taking care of the fire- I don't want the house to be burned down in this storm!" Maddie shot back at her papa as she got her boots on. Then, bracing herself for the cold, she ran out into the storm in order to gather the rest of the groceries from her papa's car trunk.

"Hmph~…she could at least let me take care of SOME things other than cooking around this house…my sweet little crepe is bullying me, Kumajiro!" Francis complained to the polar bear who had been dosing in the kitchen since Ivan had come into the shop earlier.

Taking his snowy coat and scarf off, he walked into the living room, about to slip from his boots to his slippers when he almost fell over in shock.

"M-M-M-MADELINE BROUGHT HOME A G-G-G-G-GUY?! _Il ne peut pas être vrai!_

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><p>Well, isn't this a nice change? Two chapters in one day! :D Though I had started on the second chapter yesterday, this third chapter was started today. :3 Here's a little translation for the different French terms throughout this chapter~!<p>

**Translations:**

_grand-mère= _grandmother

_ma petite crêpe_ = my little crepe

_Il gèle là-bas! _= It's freezing out there!

_Il ne peut pas être vrai! =_ It can't be true!

Hope you enjoyed this chapter! **Please review!**


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